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Matthew Wallace
'''Matthew Wallace '''is a Systems Alliance veteran and a resident of Bachjret Ward on the Citadel. Biography Colonial Upbringing When Paula, the commanding officer of the SSV Taft, was informed that she would be assigned to an Alliance base on the colonized planet Shanxi, she and her family moved from their home in Beijing; where they moved to previously from the United North American States. As soon as Paula’s crew settled in the new colony, Travis took a job as a patrol officer. At the same time, Travis took care of their 2-year-old son, Matthew. The new job was, to his dismay, too much for Travis to work as well as taking care of Matthew. He chose to quit his job while Paula continued to serve the Alliance. Travis was a no-nonsense individual, very skeptical, sarcastic, and opinionated. He grew to be embarrassed of Matthew, mainly for things a normal child does: babble, scream, cry, and so forth. Many times he would either try to ignore Matthew or yell at him to stop whatever was slightly irritating him. Matthew himself grew to be just as moody as his father, which made it difficult for him to make friends. Matthew attended kindergarten when he was 4 years old. While he did participate in whatever activities his class had, Matthew usually acted begrudgingly towards it all. He would barely pay attention in whatever was going on unless he was called out on it. His stubborn attitude made him unlikable in the eyes of his classmates. His days in school didn’t last when Alliance soldiers suddenly picked up the students and sent them to a military post. First Contact War The soldiers lost communication with most of the other outposts in the area, and supplies were no longer being shipped to the shelter. Unsure of what to do, some of the soldiers were assigned to leave to try regaining communication with the other Alliance site. This became a terrible decision on their part, as a group of creatures in combat armor, unknown to the colonists except through rumors about extraterrestrial life, came in and apprehended the survivors. One of the creatures gestured with his hand for the colonists to follow him. With little choice, the civilians and apprehended soldiers hesitantly got up and followed the strangers. The creatures, whom would later be known to the humans as “turians,” didn’t show them any force at first, but when some colonists refused to move, the soldiers pointed their guns at them. They walked several blocks into another captured Alliance base. The turians’ strange appearance disturbed Matthew. While he was a hostage, he had several nightmares about them acting like monsters, devouring his family and friends. Those nightmares carried into his adulthood. During their last day of captivity, the turians in the storage facility lost in a shoot-off against the Second Alliance Fleet. The colonists were evacuated from Shanxi and sent to an Alliance base, where the victims reunited with their families and sent to new places to live on earth. Matthew’s mother’s frigate was destroyed in battle and the commanding officer was presumed KIA. His father was also missing. Earth Orphan Unable to find his parents, the Alliance sent Matthew to a foster home on Prince Edward Island in the UNAS. He received general education at a local K-12 (Kindergarten through 12th grade) school there, but it was hard for him to concentrate due to the constant nightmares he had of the turians on Shanxi. He worried constantly about where his parents were and if they were alive. For years, he was in doubt that his mother likely died in battle. But as time went by with no word that his family was coming to pick him up, he began to lose hope. When he was 13, news of his father being alive sparked new life in Matthew found him. However, as soon as hope reclaimed his spirit, it was immediately brought down again. His father went through a downward spiral ever since the incident. He committed a few felonies and was running away from the law at the time. Travis, waiting to pick up his son from the foster home, was arrested after one of the caretakers caught him with cocaine in his pocket and called the police. Matthew continued to live with the foster home, but transferred to multiple schools on account of his behavior. He constantly skipped classes all the way through his first 2 years of high-school and was caught with the possession of cigarettes and cannabis. Terra Firma Humanity’s understanding of life, exploration, defense, and business changed dramatically in just a few years. Though the Alliance still held power and representation for humans, some people began to feel disgust for their interactions with the other races, Matthew included. In his mind, just a few years ago, humanity was making great advancements on their own. Now these aliens were getting in the way of progress and trying to take them over. His frustrations with aliens led him to discover a group of students in high-school who were Terra Firma sympathizers. Though none of them were old enough to vote for people in the political party, they made their voices clear at the school. Matthew soon became a favorite member of their group, mainly because he was one of the only survivors of Shanxi at the school. In order to better understand galactic politics for his cause, as well as continue to hang out with the Terra Firma group, Matthew began to clean his act to some degree and study harder in his classes. On top of studying, he also joined a rehabilitation program on his own merit to combat his drug addictions. Eventually, his hard work paid off. Matthew had just high enough of a grade point average to attend a community college. He joined another Terra Firma club at the college while he was there, though strangely enough, the group seemed a bit more radical than the one he joined in high-school. Members got on each other’s nerves if anyone expressed opinions that seemed alien-influenced. Mainly they were upset with how the Alliance was trying to interact and cooperate with the other cultures. Though Matthew noticed they were a bit more extreme, he didn’t care. They had the drive he was looking for. In spring of 2173, near the end of his first year in college, Matthew participated in a blockade led by Terra Firma members at his campus. An asari political analyst from the Citadel was arriving to talk about how Council politics and Earth politics affect each other. The protest ended in violence, with the analyst attacked and counter-protesters fighting the blockade. Though Matthew didn’t attack the analyst, he did fight the counter-protesters, slowly realizing that he was enjoying every minute of it. The people Matthew assaulted were unable to identify who attacked them. But people did find out he was part of the protest. The Terra Firma group at his campus lost members and was disbanded, he lost more respect from his professors, and soon his grades began to slip again. Failing most of his classes the next year, Matthew felt he was not going to be able to achieve an AA degree, and decided to drop out. Giving up on the Terra Firma’s ability to carry out their goals, he gave up on his own ambitions to make a difference for humanity. LIfe in the Alliance Desperate to find work, and looking for any sense of fulfillment, Matthew enlisted himself into the Systems Alliance at the age of 19. Though it was a difficult process, he received a waiver during his examination for his past drug abuse, since he served his time in rehabilitation. He passed his required training before boarding the SSV Yuma. His assignments involved patrolling other Alliance vessels traveling between the Systems Alliance territory and the Inner Council territory. Many times he would see other races cross between these areas. It always put him on edge whenever he’d see a turian vessel enter the Alliance cluster. Matthew’s training with the Alliance helped bring him back to his feet. Though he wasn’t pursuing some higher goal for humanity, he did learn to be more disciplined and respectful. Plus he was able to find a vessel to use his aggressions productively. His efforts eventually got him promoted to Private First Class. But his sarcastic behavior, begrudging attitude, and his rude remarks made his peers see him as less of a soldier and more as someone just barely getting by in life. Other privates nicknamed him “Dibs” because of his tendency to call dibs on the resources he needed on missions before anyone else could get a chance to get what they needed. Matthew was annoyed by the nickname, but surprisingly got used to it after an officer started calling him by the nickname as well. He figured it wasn’t worth the trouble calling people out for his nickname. From then on, he was fine with only his human friends referring to him as such. One day, Matthew’s commanding officer charged him and the rest of the crew with investigating an idle transport ship. They found it to be completely quiet, but soon the team discovered a group of human pirates holding the passengers hostage in the engine room. A firefight emerged, and many pirates, Alliance soldiers, and civilians died in the calamity. The Alliance barely gained the upper hand and suppressed the pirates, but many victims needed to be rushed to a hospital. The team took as many wounded as possible onto their ship, but it was clear from the start that they wouldn’t be able to get everyone in. Matthew and a few soldiers wanted to prioritize getting the human victims in first, arguing that the Alliance answers to the needs of humanity first, but Matthew’s priorities were challenged when he saw a quarian grieving over her wounded son. It was difficult for him to resist the tear-filled pleads of the hysterical mother. His commanding officer informed the crew that the ship was full and that they needed to head to the Citadel immediately. With hesitation, Matthew left the rest of the victims and boarded the ship. They attempted to contact any Alliance ships nearby to try to help them pick up more victims, and at least tried to stabilize some of the people they were leaving behind, but too many were in critical condition and immediately needed medical assistance. Most of the victims they saved were human, with a small percentage of Council races. A couple of other ships arrived to help, but many died from their wounds on the ship, and many more died on the way over to a hospital. This incident would live with Matthew for the rest of his life. Near the end of his career with the Alliance, he survived an explosion from a faulty generator on his ship as they were traveling through the Widow System. He was far enough from the explosion itself, but without armor to protect him at the time, small shards of metal from the generator punctured his lungs. Dibs had to be rushed to a hospital on the Citadel. The damage was so severe that he needed to receive a lung transplant. Transplant and Recovery During his time there he befriended a human named Franklin Chips. He was a rugged and cruel-humored old man, but also a bit on the quirky side because of his senile state. He’d tell Matthew stories about when he was in the Alliance and guarding archeologists on regular expeditions on Mars, unearthing Prothean ruins, but more often he’d complain about the many ex-girlfriends he used to have. For Matthew, it was nice to have someone who had a similar level of intolerance and dark humor as he did. Matthew was shocked to discover that Chips had another girlfriend who happened to be an asari named Orel. She was just as eccentric and stubborn as the old man, but Dibs still didn’t understand why he would even want to be with someone other than his own kind. Chips answered simply that she brought something fresh to his life and it was nice to have someone who he could guarantee wouldn’t die before he does. Chips told Matthew that it was good to keep an open mind on things because sometimes it’s better to dive head-first into something uncomfortable than to live the rest of your life in the same dusty world as your life eats you away. Chips also told him that if he ever were to insult Orel in front of him, he would give him a reason to stay in the hospital longer. Out of respect for his friend, Matthew kept his mouth shut. Orel came to visit Chips again, only to find out he was asleep. She ended up talking to Matthew, thanking him for keeping Chips company while he was awaiting brain surgery. Matthew had no idea that was what Chips was in the hospital for, as the former general never wanted to talk about his condition. The asari told Matthew that she expected Chips to likely pass on soon, but she still was having a hard time not trembling at the idea. Seeing Orel concerned for Chips’ death reminded him of the quarian he came across on the transport ship. It became harder for Matthew to see Orel as an asari who married a human and not as someone losing a close friend and lover. He still wondered though if she would easily get over it and move on to another life form to meld with. A week later, Matthew no longer saw Chips in the room with him. He was informed by the doctors that his operation was unsuccessful. The doctors also reminded him that though his operation was successful, half of the patients who go through lung surgery have another 30 years at least to live, maybe 45 if they’re lucky. Awakening to his own mortality, Dibz felt lost, unsure where he wanted to go or if he could do anything to feel like his life had any meaning. He was unable to reenlist in the Alliance, and finding that he didn’t have the cash to get back to earth, had no place to go home to, and wanting to fulfill Chips’ wishes, Dibs decided to stay on the Citadel. He plans to find work and to, begrudgingly, challenge his view on aliens. Physical Description Matthew is quite short for a human, standing only 5’5”. He has a lean build with some muscle, but not huge, and weighs 150 pounds. He hunches his neck slightly and doesn’t typically look at others in the eye unless aggressively confronted. He especially keeps eye contact away from turians both out of disrespect and a general discomfort from being near them. Matthew has a cream-colored complexion but is filled with blemishes and wrinkles from years of smoking. He has a large scar running underneath his pectoral muscles from where he received lung transplant surgery. He has a square-shaped face with very visible cheekbones, giving him an almost skeletal look. Underneath the dark circles around his eyes are a pair of dark green irises. One of the more peculiar parts of Matthew’s appearance is his hairstyle. Though his bushy eyebrows are pitch black in color, his hair is bleach-blond and formed in a side-shaven style. Matthew grew to be comfortable with the look when he experimented with it as a teenager, despite the criticisms from the people around him. His hair seems to be the only thing he cares about when it comes to his looks. One part of him he tries to be discrete about is his tattoo. Located in the back of his left shoulder is a symbol that belongs to Terra Firma, a group Matthew used to advocate for. Personality Matthew Wallace doesn’t present himself as an honorable figure, due to his racial prejudices against other alien races and his sarcastic attitude toward his crew-mates. This disrespectful behavior developed over time after his career with the Systems Alliance. In short, he acts more like a reformed criminal doing what he’s told to pay the bills, rather than a former soldier. Matthew isn’t a sophisticated speaker. His vulgar language and use of improper sentences make his speech less than charismatic. While maintaining mostly a general American accent, sometimes a Canadian accent will slip out, especially with certain words. In the heat of the moment, he’ll, on rare occasions, swear in Mandarin. Any amount of prejudice he shows toward aliens is nonchalant as to not get in too much trouble. He doesn’t openly seek conflict either unless he feels someone has wronged him in some way. Dibs doesn’t know how to feel about aliens adopting what he considers to be human culture, whether he would consider it stealing of what belongs to humanity or a sign of respect. He does find it revolting whenever a human adopts what he considers alien culture. Matthew hates turians the most. He sees them as an uptight, “holier-than-thou” race who go out of their way to undermine the needs of humanity, especially in political representation. Sometimes he wonders if the hierarchy desires to go back to war with humanity; to finish what they started in the First Contact War. Matthew feels uncomfortable being in the same room as a turian. He’ll keep his eyes away and will sometimes struggle to speak if he knows there’s one near him. He’ll occasionally have recurring nightmares of them during their attack on Shanxi. On a good day, Matthew will act obnoxiously contemptible. He isn’t above flirting with women at a club or getting involved in practical jokes just for the sake of it, but these moments are rare for him. Most of the time, he shows very little excitement about what’s going on around him. Matthew struggles between being religious and agnostic. He grew up with a family of Christians, but his own relationship with God was unstable. He isn’t a fan of praying, going to church, or reading the Bible, but instead prefers living a simplified religious lifestyle. He doesn’t like following a long, detailed list of “do’s and dont’s,” as he feels that only stuck up, judgmental egotists who pretend they’re holy would want to live that kind of life. Although he sometimes believes that living by the most basic Christian values is too difficult for him. On the worst of days he wonders if he’s failed as a human being, or if God has a sick sense of humor and uses him as a punchline. Despite his many setbacks and his downward spiral of sanity, decency, and dignity, Matthew is conflicted between his uncaring, self-destructive nature and his small amount of desire to bring purpose into his life. In dire moments he will try to act like an officer. He’ll take blame or credit for actions that are truly his own, he’ll be honest about his comrade’s performances, and he will not leave a soldier behind in battle. In his mind, when lives are at stake, the value of comrades are important for survival, even non-human soldiers. Armament Matthew carries with him an M-5 Phalanx heavy pistol equipped with Carnage and Concussive Shot launchers. His Mantis Armor comes installed with an Adrenaline Rush module, and his omni-tool is prepped for the combat abilities Shield Boost and Incinerate. Category:Humans Category:Characters Category:Systems Alliance Category:Soldiers Category:Terra Firma Category:Bachjret Ward